GLG Life Tech Corporation (Nasdaq:GLGL) (TSX:GLG) ("GLG" or the
"Company"), the vertically-integrated leader in the agricultural
and commercial development of high quality stevia and all natural
and zero calorie food and beverage products, announces financial
results for the quarter ended June 30, 2011.
- $7 Million of stevia extract sales in the quarter for
China Sugar Reserve (CSR) Project demonstrates key advancement of
this key project
- Patent granted in China for high purity STV extraction
methodology which is key for CSR project and PCT application filed
for BlendSure
- Two letters of No Objection received from FDA for
PureSTV (High Purity STV) & BlendSureTM(proprietary blend of RA
and STV)
- New stevia formulation company - AN0C Stevia Solutions
established & first product line – Dream Sweetener
announced
- AN0C ships 27,000,000 bottles in the first three months
of sales & AN0C distribution triples to over 65,000
stores
- Key agreement signed with Fengyang Government for AN0C
Business in June providing support for RMB 1 Billion Line of Credit
and 5 year favourable tax treatment
- Major developments in AN0C Joint Venture during the
second quarter including the development of vitamin enriched drinks
and carbonated beverages, the set-up of additional regional offices
(now at 51), & exclusive sponsorship of China's national
Olympic swim-team for ready to drink teas
BUSINESS HIGHLIGHTS
Revenue from stevia was $10.4 million – High
purity Stevia revenues for the second quarter 2011 were $10.4
million with $7.1 million coming from sales made in China to our
partner FXY and $3.3 million from sales outside of China. China
stevia sales were for material required by our partner for the
China Sugar Reserve project and included both high purity STV and
high purity RA stevia extracts.
Revenue from AN0C for the second quarter was $4.8
million – The Company's consumer products business, AN0C,
had sales of $4.8 million in the second quarter of 2011. This
represents a 213% increase over the sales in the first quarter. The
average revenue per bottle was lower by 9.9% for the second quarter
compared to the first quarter as it reflects the significant
promotional campaign that was undertaken to support the ready to
drink tea product launch. The objectives of the promotional
campaigns were to encourage consumers to try the AN0C beverages
through lower retail pricing and to reward our distributors through
volume purchases.
Key Developments in China Consumer Products AN0CTM Joint
Venture – Overall, the AN0C business has performed very
well in the little over 6 months since we announced the JV and
launched our first products at the end of March. Management
believes that AN0C has achieved a number of firsts in China
including the set-up of its national distribution within 6 months,
its rollout of all naturally sweetened zero calorie products and
the achievement of sales of approximately 27 million bottles within
a short period of time (3 months). As of July 20th, AN0C had
increased the total number of store locations (including both KA
and general retailers) serviced by its distributors to
approximately 75,000 locations. Total Tier I distributors are at
approximately 400, as AN0C Management reviews and replaces lower
performing Tier I distributors with higher performing distributors.
In addition to the Shanghai headquarters and twelve regional AN0C
offices (Tier I) established in March, AN0C has established an
additional 51 Tier II sales and marketing offices within those same
sales regions and at the same time created 125 Tier III sales and
marketing support stations (in major urban areas). To date, AN0C
has hired 1,250 full time sales and marketing staff to work with
distributors and retailers to promote AN0C's products.
Originally, we had planned 12 SKU's for two beverage categories,
but we have now increased the number of launches in 2011 to a total
of 32 SKU's across six traditional beverage categories and in two
functional beverage categories (anti-aging, detoxification).
The size of these combined markets is estimated to be in excess of
$21 billion compared to approximately $6 billion originally.
Management's key objective for AN0C has been to develop the number
one brand in China for naturally sweetened zero calorie beverages
and foods. Over the past few months they have set-up the
Company in all critical areas including sales, marketing, product
development and formulation, production management, procurement,
logistics, government relations, human resources and all other
critical support functions.
New Patents Filed during the quarter - The
Company's refining method for the extraction of high-purity
Stevioside (STV) was granted full patent protection by the State
Intellectual Property Bureau of the People's Republic of
China. The unique extraction method is an innovative
technology that is scalable, allowing the company to produce high
volumes of greater than 80% high-purity STV. The company has
also filed a PCT application to attain international patent
protection for its BlendSure product and the process used to
produce this natural sweetener composition.
FDA Issuance of Two Letters of No objection for
Blendsure and PureSTV - The United States Food and Drug
Administration ("FDA") has issued a Generally Recognized as Safe
(GRAS) Letter of No Objection for GLG's high purity stevia
extracts: PureSTV™ (Filing No. GRN000348) and BlendSure™ (Filing
No. GRN000349). These high purity extracts both contain
greater than 95% steviol glycosides.
Key agreement signed with Fenyang Government for
AN0C- GLG and its AN0C joint venture business entered into
a milestone agreement with the Fengyang County Government (with the
support of the Chuzhou City Government of Anhui province in China)
that strengthens its consumer products business. Under the
agreement, GLG and AN0C agreed to register their headquarters in
Xiaogang Village in Fengyang County while maintaining the marketing
and sales operation center in Shanghai. The Fengyang
government agreed to give the AN0C business nationwide preferred
tax treatment through its headquarters. The Fengyang
government and the Chuzhou City Government also agreed to
proactively assist AN0C in obtaining a RMB one billion credit
facility with interest rates discounted from market rates from
China financial institutions.
New stevia formulation company - AN0C Stevia
Solutions - The Company created a new subsidiary in July,
AN0C Stevia Solutions Company, to focus on providing naturally
sweetened zero and reduced calorie food and beverage formulations
to customers outside China. The solutions and formulations
will be all natural - natural sweeteners, natural flavours and
natural colours, for use in zero or low calorie beverage and food
products. On August 2nd, the Company announced the
launch of AN0C Stevia Solutions' first product line – the Dream
Sweetener series. Using GLG's BlendSure and other natural
ingredients, the Dream Sweetener product line (which initially
consists of X10, X30, X60, and X100) was formulated to maintain the
best taste while replacing sugar or artificial sweeteners in
different beverage and food applications. Core advantages of Dream
Sweetener products include: 1) tastes like cane sugar and has no
aftertaste, 2) provides a consistent sweetness for much easier
formulation for a food and beverage company, 3) easy to handle,
unlike typical stevia extracts which come in a light powder form,
4) can reduce the time to market for food and beverage companies
since the major formulation challenges (aftertaste &
consistency of taste) with high purity stevia extracts have been
overcome, and 5) is more cost efficient at large volumes. The
new company will be incorporated in Hong Kong and will be a 100%
owned subsidiary of AN0C Hong Kong.
Second Quarter 2011 Financial Results
Highlights
The following results from operations have been derived from and
should be read in conjunction with GLG's consolidated financial
statements for the six months ended June 30, 2011, and its audited
consolidated financial statements for previous years. Certain
prior year's figures have been reclassified to conform to the
current financial information presentation.
|
|
|
|
|
In thousands Canadian $, except per
share amounts |
3 Months Ended Jun
30 |
% Change |
6 Months Ended Jun
30 |
% Change |
|
2011 |
2010 |
|
2011 |
2010 |
|
Revenue |
$15,213 |
$10,468 |
45% |
$22,627 |
$18,677 |
21% |
Cost of Sales |
$12,193 |
$6,849 |
78% |
$18,383 |
$11,861 |
55% |
% of Revenue |
80% |
65% |
15% |
81% |
64% |
18% |
Gross Profit |
$3,020 |
$3,619 |
(17%) |
$4,244 |
$6,816 |
(38%) |
% of Revenue |
20% |
35% |
(15%) |
19% |
36% |
(18%) |
Expenses |
$14,741 |
$3,700 |
298% |
$20,452 |
$6,622 |
209% |
% of Revenue |
97% |
35% |
62% |
90% |
35% |
55% |
Income (loss) from
Operations |
($11,721) |
($81) |
14370% |
($16,208) |
$194 |
(8455%) |
% of Revenue |
(77%) |
(1%) |
(76%) |
(72%) |
1% |
(73%) |
Other Income (Expenses) |
($1,642) |
($559) |
194% |
($3,337) |
($1,841) |
81% |
% of Revenue |
(11%) |
(5%) |
(5%) |
(15%) |
(10%) |
(5%) |
Net Income (loss) before Income Taxes
and Non-Controlling Interests |
($13,363) |
($640) |
1988% |
($19,545) |
($1,647) |
1087% |
% of Revenue |
(88%) |
(6%) |
(82%) |
(86%) |
(9%) |
(78%) |
Net Income (loss) after Income Taxes
and Non-Controlling Interests |
($12,514) |
($278) |
4401% |
($18,266) |
($1,674) |
991% |
Earnings (loss) per share (Basic
& Diluted) |
($0.38) |
($0.01) |
3700% |
($0.59) |
($0.06) |
883% |
Total Comprehensive Income
(loss) |
($11,925) |
$4,986 |
(339%) |
($20,115) |
$703 |
(2961%) |
% of Revenue |
(78%) |
48% |
(126%) |
(89%) |
4% |
(93%) |
Consolidated Depreciation &
Amortization |
$2,338 |
$2,138 |
9% |
$4,428 |
$4,642 |
(5%) |
% of Revenue |
15% |
20% |
(5%) |
20% |
25% |
(5%) |
Stock based
Compensation |
$779 |
$756 |
3% |
$1,622 |
$1,473 |
10% |
% of Revenue |
5% |
7% |
(2%) |
7% |
8% |
(1%) |
EBITDA (1) |
($6,662) |
$2,861 |
(333%) |
($7,967) |
$6,368 |
(225%) |
% of
Revenue |
(44%) |
27% |
(17%) |
28% |
34% |
(6%) |
(1) EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure. GLG calculates
it by adding to net income before taxes (1) Depreciation and
amortization expense as reported on the cash flow statement, (2)
Other Income (Expenses), (3) Stock-based compensation expense, and
(4) Non-controlling interest. This might not be the same
definition used by other companies. For the discussion of
EBITDA, and the reconciliation of EBITDA to net income before taxes
and after minority interest under U.S GAAP, please see 'Non-GAAP
Financial Information".
|
GLG LIFE TECH
CORPORATION |
Unaudited Interim
Consolidated Balance Sheets |
(Expressed in
Canadian Dollars) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
June 30, 2011 |
December 31, 2010 |
|
|
|
(Adjusted-note
3(a)) |
|
Note |
|
|
ASSETS |
|
|
|
Current Assets |
|
|
|
Cash and cash equivalents |
|
$ 32,986,381 |
$ 23,817,215 |
Accounts receivable |
5 |
15,775,205 |
31,562,296 |
Taxes recoverable |
6 |
5,263,056 |
6,554,498 |
Inventory |
7 |
86,782,443 |
63,306,902 |
Prepaid expenses |
8 |
12,046,653 |
4,461,751 |
|
|
152,853,738 |
129,702,662 |
|
|
|
|
Property, Plant, and
Equipment |
9 |
105,979,121 |
108,324,184 |
Goodwill |
|
7,649,321 |
7,736,478 |
Intangible Assets |
10 |
34,010,084 |
35,643,970 |
|
|
$ 300,492,264 |
$ 281,407,294 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
LIABILITIES |
|
|
|
Current Liabilities |
|
|
|
Short term loans |
11 |
$ 81,088,877 |
$ 100,131,084 |
Accounts payable and accruals |
12 |
26,901,768 |
21,929,861 |
Interest payable |
|
186,781 |
384,761 |
Advances from customers |
|
94,893 |
76,959 |
Due to related parties |
13 |
-- |
99,460 |
Deferred revenue |
|
96,430 |
-- |
|
|
108,368,749 |
122,622,125 |
|
|
|
|
Due to related parties |
13 |
-- |
6,133,554 |
Deferred income tax
liability |
18 |
533,548 |
642,864 |
|
|
108,902,297 |
129,398,543 |
EQUITY |
|
|
|
Shareholders' Equity |
|
|
|
Common Stock: no par value; unlimited
shares authorized; issued and outstanding: 33,126,634
(December 31, 2010 -- 27,371,246 shares) |
14 |
188,460,205 |
141,423,457 |
Additional paid-in capital |
14 |
24,685,037 |
16,389,310 |
Accumulated other comprehensive
income |
|
3,827,478 |
5,676,312 |
Deficit |
|
(29,750,486) |
(11,484,715) |
|
|
187,222,234 |
152,004,364 |
Non-controlling interests |
|
4,367,733 |
4,387 |
|
|
191,589,967 |
152,008,751 |
|
|
$ 300,492,264 |
$ 281,407,294 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nature of Operations and Liquidity Risk (Note
1) |
|
|
|
Commitments (Note 19) |
|
|
|
Contingent liabilities (Note 20) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
APPROVED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
" Sophia Leung " |
|
Director |
|
"David Hall " |
|
Director |
|
|
|
|
|
See Accompanying Notes to the
Consolidated Financial Statements |
|
|
GLG LIFE TECH
CORPORATION |
Unaudited Interim
Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive (Loss)
Income |
For the three months and
six months ended June 30 |
(Expressed in
Canadian Dollars) |
|
Three months ended June
30 |
Six months ended June
30 |
|
2011 |
2010 |
2011 |
2010 |
|
|
(Adjusted-note
3(a)) |
|
(Adjusted-note
3(a)) |
|
|
|
|
|
REVENUE |
$ 15,213,022 |
$ 10,467,796 |
$ 22,626,659 |
$ 18,676,910 |
|
|
|
|
|
COST OF SALES |
12,193,191 |
6,849,461 |
18,383,479 |
11,861,084 |
|
|
|
|
|
GROSS PROFIT |
3,019,831 |
3,618,335 |
4,243,180 |
6,815,826 |
|
|
|
|
|
SELLING, GENERAL, AND ADMINISTRATIVE
EXPENSES |
14,741,371 |
3,699,858 |
20,452,305 |
6,621,770 |
|
|
|
|
|
(LOSS) PROFIT BEFORE THE
UNDERNOTED |
(11,721,540) |
(81,523) |
(16,209,125) |
194,056 |
|
|
|
|
|
OTHER INCOME
(EXPENSES) |
|
|
|
|
Interest expense |
(1,540,425) |
(959,707) |
(3,082,507) |
(2,010,857) |
Interest income |
90,290 |
24,268 |
138,034 |
45,766 |
Other income |
-- |
42,015 |
-- |
42,015 |
Foreign exchange (loss) gain |
(191,986) |
334,780 |
(392,076) |
82,350 |
|
(1,642,121) |
(558,644) |
(3,336,549) |
(1,840,726) |
|
|
|
|
|
LOSS BEFORE INCOME
TAXES |
(13,363,661) |
(640,167) |
(19,545,674) |
(1,646,670) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
INCOME TAX (EXPENSE)
RECOVERY |
(1,093,376) |
356,766 |
(912,486) |
(44,144) |
|
|
|
|
|
NET LOSS |
(14,457,037) |
(283,401) |
(20,458,160) |
(1,690,814) |
|
|
|
|
|
Net loss attributable to
non-controlling interest |
(1,943,085) |
(5,741) |
(2,192,389) |
(16,815) |
|
|
|
|
|
NET LOSS ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE
COMPANY |
(12,513,952) |
(277,660) |
(18,265,771) |
(1,673,999) |
|
|
|
|
|
NET LOSS PER SHARE |
|
|
|
|
Basic &
Diluted |
(0.38) |
(0.01) |
(0.59) |
(0.06) |
|
|
|
|
|
NET LOSS ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE
COMPANY |
(12,513,952) |
(277,660) |
(18,265,771) |
(1,673,999) |
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE (LOSS)
INCOME |
|
|
|
|
Foreign Currency
Translation Adjustment |
589,262 |
5,263,510 |
(1,848,834) |
2,376,516 |
|
|
|
|
|
COMPREHENSIVE (LOSS)
INCOME |
(11,924,690) |
4,985,850 |
(20,114,605) |
702,517 |
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted Average Number of Shares
Outstanding |
|
|
|
|
Basic |
32,835,829 |
26,184,910 |
31,170,788 |
25,805,579 |
Diluted |
32,835,829 |
26,184,910 |
31,170,788 |
25,805,579 |
|
|
|
|
|
See Accompanying Notes to the
Consolidated Financial Statements |
|
|
GLG LIFE TECH
CORPORATION |
Unaudited Interim
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows |
(Expressed in
Canadian Dollars) |
|
|
Three months ended June
30 |
Six months ended June
30 |
|
|
2011 |
2010 |
2011 |
2010 |
|
|
|
(Adjusted-note
3(a)) |
|
(Adjusted-note
3(a)) |
|
Note |
|
|
|
|
Cash provided by (used
in) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating activities |
|
|
|
|
|
Net loss |
|
$ (14,457,037) |
$ (283,401) |
$ (20,458,160) |
$ (1,690,814) |
Items not affecting cash: |
|
-- |
-- |
|
|
Stock-based compensation |
|
779,025 |
756,468 |
1,622,120 |
1,473,219 |
Amortization of property, plant and
equipment and intangible assets |
|
2,337,642 |
2,138,271 |
4,427,718 |
4,641,906 |
Provisions on loans and receivables |
|
-- |
(27,100) |
-- |
(18,100) |
Unrealized foreign exchange loss
(gain) |
|
323,363 |
(480,066) |
618,908 |
(245,042) |
Deferred income tax expense
(recovery) |
|
1,088,071 |
(523,292) |
897,158 |
(228,774) |
Changes in non-cash
working capital items |
15 |
(135,460) |
2,964,286 |
(7,163,348) |
(5,148,825) |
Cash flow (used by) from
operating activities |
|
(10,064,396) |
4,545,166 |
(20,055,604) |
(1,216,430) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Investing activities |
|
|
|
|
|
Decrease in restricted cash |
|
-- |
10,003 |
-- |
10,003 |
Purchase of property,
plant and equipment |
|
(4,009,052) |
(4,551,285) |
(4,824,774) |
(10,456,715) |
Cash flow used by investing
activities |
|
(4,009,052) |
(4,541,282) |
(4,824,774) |
(10,446,712) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Financing activities |
|
|
|
|
|
Issuance of short term loans |
|
-- |
3,721,900 |
-- |
12,859,900 |
Repayment of short term loans |
|
(8,940,000) |
-- |
(17,928,000) |
-- |
Issuance of common shares, net of share
issuance costs |
|
(26,299) |
-- |
54,187,643 |
-- |
Exercise of stock options |
|
52,234 |
1,319,000 |
52,234 |
1,319,000 |
Equity contribution by non-controlling
interests |
|
2,293,265 |
-- |
5,014,306 |
-- |
Advance(repayment of advance) from a
customer |
|
52,975 |
(94,955) |
18,825 |
-- |
Repayment of loans to
related parties |
|
(4,535,306) |
-- |
(6,125,436) |
(305,640) |
Cash flow (used by)from financing
activities |
|
(11,103,131) |
4,945,945 |
35,219,572 |
13,873,260 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes
on cash and cash equivalents |
|
(87,219) |
860,059 |
(1,170,028) |
388,237 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
CHANGE IN CASH AND CASH
EQUIVALENTS |
|
(25,263,798) |
5,809,888 |
9,169,166 |
2,598,355 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS,
beginning of period |
|
58,250,179 |
12,806,670 |
23,817,215 |
16,018,203 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end
of period |
|
32,986,381 |
18,616,558 |
$ 32,986,381 |
$ 18,616,558 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
See Accompanying Notes to the
Consolidated Financial Statements |
Supplemental Cash Flow
Information (Note 16) |
Revenue
Revenue for the three months ended June 30, 2011 which was
derived from stevia sales and the sale of consumer beverage
products was $15.2 million, an increase of 45% compared to $10.5
million in revenue for the same period last year.
Revenue for the six months ended June 30, 2011 was $22.6 million
compared to $18.7 million for the same period in 2010. The
total revenue was composed of $16.2 million for stevia sales and
$6.4 million for consumer products sales.
For the three months ended June 30, 2011, the total sales of
$15.2 million are composed of stevia sales of $10.4 million and
consumer product sales of $4.8 million. Approximately
22% of sales for the three month period are derived from sales
denominated in US dollars and 78% are derived from sales
denominated in RMB. As at June 30, 2011, 100% of the Company's
sales are in foreign currencies and translated into Canadian
dollars for financial reporting purposes.
Stevia Business
Stevia sales of $10.4 million, for the three months ended June
30, 2011 are net of intersegment sales to AN0C of $0.6 million (YTD
2011 $1.2 million). Stevia sales for the second quarter 2011
were down by 0.9% compared to the prior period. This 0.9% decrease
in sales comparing the second quarter in 2011 to the second quarter
in 2010 was driven by overall positive growth in volumes that were
offset by several factors in the second quarter of 2011 including
negative impacts of foreign currencies and lower prices for RA 80
product compared with the prior period.
High purity Stevia revenues for the second quarter 2011 were
$10.4 million with $7.1 million coming from sales made in China to
our Chinese partner and $3.3 million from sales outside of
China. China stevia sales were for material required by our
partner for the China Sugar Reserve project and included both high
purity STV and high purity RA stevia extracts. Overall there
was an approximately 37% increase in RA 80 equivalent volume
compared with the second quarter 2010.
The factors that offset the positive product volume growth in
the second quarter of 2011 compared to the prior year include the
10% appreciation of the Canadian dollar against the US Dollar which
impacted US dollar based sales and a 25% lower selling price of RA
80 products in June 2011 compared with June 2010.
These factors combined to a 0.9% reduction in revenues in the
second quarter 2011 compared to the prior period.
AN0C Consumer Products Business
The Company's consumer products business, AN0C had sales of $4.8
million in the second quarter of 2011. This represents a 213%
increase over the sales in the first quarter. The
average revenue per bottle was lower by 9.9% for the second quarter
compared to the first quarter as it reflects the significant
promotional campaign that was undertaken to support the ready to
drink product launch. The objectives of the promotional campaigns
were to encourage consumers to try the AN0C beverages through lower
retail pricing and to reward our distributors through volume
purchases. AN0C's pricing policy is to maintain a 10% to 15%
premium over the leading national RTD tea brands. With the
success of the RTD tea launches and the onset of the busy summer
peak season, AN0C expects retail pricing to realign with its
pricing policy.
After approximately three months of sales through our 400 Tier I
distributors, data shows 75% of our distributors have initiated
repeat orders (second or more) and 25% of our distributors are
still on their first order. Of the 75% of distributors who are
repeat ordering, 60% have placed their second order, 20% are on
their third order, 13% are on their fourth order and 7% are on
their fifth order. AN0C Management sees this as clear support of
the success of the AN0C ready-to-drink (RTD) tea in China and that
the zero calorie naturally sweetened product concept is one that we
plan to capitalize on over the next few months across a number of
major beverage categories.
Product volume sales to June 30th – In the approximately three
months of sales activity (end of March through June 30th) AN0C sold
approximately 27 million bottles of its RTD teas. Our
largest volume sold was in the month of June with 12.6 million
bottles. June proved to be a landmark month
demonstrating AN0C's growing success being the first month since
our March launch with all of the following sales enablers in
place:
a) OEM manufacture capacity in place to handle volume
b) Distribution outlets increased from 20,000 to 65,000 by this
time.
c) Sales support was in place (51 Branch Sales Offices &
over 1,250 sales and marketing professional in
place supporting sales with our Distributors)
d) Increased advertising levels
With all the necessary components in place, AN0C sold 12.6
million bottles of its RTD teas, worth approximately $40 million in
product sales on an annualized basis. This sales milestone has
given AN0C management the data and confidence that their all
natural sweetened zero calorie products are being well received in
the Chinese marketplace. Based on 2010 average monthly sales data
(Euromonitor, 2010) for China's top competitors within the RTD tea
category, AN0C's June sales would place it within the top 12
national competitors in this category. This is a significant
achievement within a three month period of product launch and
demonstrates our confidence in rolling out additional zero calorie
products in the marketplace.
Although to Management's knowledge, AN0C's performance is the
fastest growth achieved by a new entrant in China's RTD beverage
market, we were unable to achieve our original expectation of
bottles sold by June 30th. A series of factors contributed to
a delay in the number of bottles sold, none of which change
Management's expectations for the AN0C business for 2011 and
beyond. The three major factors that impacted our sales
through June 30th were as follows:
- Insufficient product supply from our OEM bottler – This issue
was present earlier in the second quarter and has since been
resolved.
- Competition in RTD Tea marketplace – Competition reacted to the
success of AN0C's products causing some issues with our
distributors as well as more aggressive advertising.
AN0C has a differentiated product and consumers are buying it, so
without a comparable offering the competition has yet to react with
a nationally available zero calorie all naturally sweetened
product.
- Weather – The summer has been more moderate in China compared
to last year, and industry wide sales of RTD teas and other
beverages that usually sell well during the hot weather were
impacted.
AN0C is in the process of re-introducing its RTD teas in a new
custom branded bottle. This will better differentiate AN0C's
product from other competitors' products and is expected to lead to
higher levels of sales than we have achieved to date. At the
same time, due to the overwhelming preference of zero calorie RTD
AN0C products over its low calorie products, AN0C management has
made the decision to keep only the zero calorie SKU's.
Cost of Sales
Cost of sales for the three months ended June 30, 2011 was $12.2
million compared to $6.8 million in cost of sales for the same
period last year. Cost of sales as a percentage of
revenues was 80% compared to 65% in the prior period, an increase
of 15%. The prior period does not have any consumer product
business reflected as that business only commenced in 2011.
Cost of sales for the six months ended June 30, 2011 was $18.4
million compared to $11.9 million for the same period in
2010. This was composed of $12.9 million for the stevia
business and $5.5 million for the consumer products business.
Stevia Business
For the three months ended June 30, 2011 the cost of sales
related to the stevia business was $7.9 million compared to $6.8
million in cost of sales for the same period last year ($ 1.1
million increase or 16%). The 16% increase is driven by the
higher volume of extract sold, which was up 37% year over year and
offset by production cost reductions for RA 80 and higher purity
extracts sold in the period. Improvements to production costs
at GLG Runhao facility accounted for the majority of the cost
reduction improvements in the quarter. Runhao reduced
finished goods costs in the range of 10% to 13% on all of its
finished products from the fourth quarter of 2010 through the
second quarter of 2011.
Cost of sales for stevia as a percentage of revenues was 76%
compared to 65% in the prior period, an increase of
11%. The largest impact on the cost of sales as a
percentage of revenue was the lower RA 80 price reflected in the
second quarter 2011 compared to the price in place during the
comparable period. RA 80 accounted for approximately 30% of
the second quarter sales and the impact of the reduced RA 80 price
was $1.1 million and accounts for 67% of the higher cost of sales
and percentage of revenue. The other major impact was lower
gross margin contribution from the company's seeds sales in 2011
compared to the prior period.
AN0C Consumer Products Business
For the three months ended June 30, 2011, cost of sales related
to the consumer products business was $4.3 million and includes
costs associated with bottling the beverage products, supplies and
ingredients used to manufacture the beverages, and shipping the
products to the different distribution channels.
Product costs represented 87% of the cost of sales for the quarter
and were down 2% from the first quarter as our volumes
increased. 80% of the product costs are related to bottling
and packaging costs and 20% are related to the ingredient
costs. AN0C Management has a program of continuous improvement
on its product costs and its formulation refinements have enabled
it to also achieve a 5% reduction on its ingredients costs for its
RTD tea products. OEM charges represented 14.5% of the
product costs for the quarter. Starting with our June
production run, AN0C has negotiated a 5% reduction in OEM
costs. June OEM costs saw a 1.8% reduction in June compared
with May. Shipping costs for the quarter represented 13% of cost of
sales, which are up marginally from the first quarter. Since
shipping costs are a function of both distance (increase in costs)
and volume (decrease costs) we saw a slight increase as we shipped
our product over greater distances in the second quarter which
outweighed cost reductions from shipping a higher volume of
product. AN0C Management expects that they will be able to
further reduce these costs as it shifts OEM production to locations
that are closer to its distributors. GLG joint venture
partner, China Agriculture and Healthy Foods Company Limited
("CAHFC") also has lower ingredient costs by utilizing GLG stevia
extracts relative to the use of sugar. On a sweetness equivalency,
CAHFC has lowered its sweeteners cost by 40% to 50% by using GLG's
BlendSure™ stevia extract in the production of AN0C's food and
beverage products, as compared to sugar. Higher sugar costs
have been often cited by the China beverage industry previously as
a cost input that was impacting their margins.
Gross Profit
Gross profit for the three months ended June 30, 2011 was $3.0
million, a decrease of 17% over $3.6 million in gross profit for
the comparable period in 2010. The gross profit margin for the
three months period ended June 30, 2011 for the Company as a whole
was 20% compared to 35% for the three months ended June 30, 2010.
On a disaggregated basis stevia products had a gross margin of 24%
and the consumer products had a gross margin of 12%.
Gross profit for the six months ended June 30, 2011 was $4.2
million compared to $6.8 million for the comparable period in
2011. The gross profit margin decreased to 19% for the six
months ended June 30, 2011 from 36% for the comparable period in
2010. On a disaggregated basis, stevia products had a gross margin
of 21% and the consumer products had a gross margin of 14%.
Stevia Business
The decrease in gross profit for the stevia business for the
second quarter of 2011 compared to the second quarter of 2010 can
be attributed to the factors detailed in the cost of sales and
revenues section (lower price for RA 80 in Q2 2011 compared with Q2
2010 and foreign exchange impacts). Gross profit for the
second quarter 2011 was 24% which was a 1000 basis points
improvement over the first quarter 2011 of 14% and it also is a 500
basis points improvement to the stevia gross profit in the fourth
quarter of 2010 which was 19% and reflects the cost improvements
being made at our Runhao finished goods facility in
Qingdao.
AN0C Consumer Products Business
For the AN0C consumer products business the gross profit margin
was $0.6 million or 12% of revenues for the second quarter of 2011
compared with 20% for the first quarter. The gross profit
margin before shipping costs for AN0C's beverage sales in the
second quarter was 23% which was lower than the first quarter by
approximately 7 percentage points and reflects the lower revenue
per bottle achieved for the quarter due to the major promotional
activity that was undertaken to support the product launch
activities. AN0C Management believes that with the
expanded promotional activities undertaken in the second quarter,
they have been successful in increasing the brand awareness
necessary for a new company and new brand. Management expects
to reduce the need for the same level of promotions in subsequent
periods now that the product launch period has been
completed. AN0C Management is targeting a 10% to 15% premium
over comparable national brands, which would return gross margin to
the 20% range after shipping before any costs reductions that are
also planned.
Selling, General and Administration
Expenses
Selling, General and administration ("SG&A") expenses
include sales, marketing, general, and administration costs
("G&A"), stock -based compensation, and depreciation and
amortization expenses on G&A fixed assets. A breakdown of
SG&A expenses into these components is presented below:
|
|
|
|
|
In thousands Canadian $ |
3 Months Ended Jun
30 |
% Change |
6 Months Ended Jun
30 |
% Change |
|
2011 |
2010 |
|
2011 |
2010 |
|
G&A Stevia |
$2,869 |
$2,638 |
9% |
$5,480 |
$4,564 |
20% |
Stock Based Comp |
$779 |
$756 |
3% |
$1,622 |
$1,473 |
10% |
G&A Amortization |
$851 |
$306 |
178% |
$1,614 |
$585 |
176% |
G&A AN0C |
$10,242 |
$0 |
|
$11,736 |
$0 |
|
Total G&A
Expenses |
$14,741 |
$3,700 |
298% |
$20,452 |
$6,622 |
209% |
% of
Revenue |
97% |
35% |
62% |
90% |
35% |
55% |
G&A for the stevia business for the three months ended June
30, 2011 was $2.9 million compared to $2.6 million in the same
period in 2010. The increase of $0.3 million was due to one of
the plants having lower utilization, therefore some of the salaries
and fixed costs that would have flowed through cost of sales and
inventory, was charged to G&A.
G&A for the consumer beverage business was $10.2 million for
the three month period ended June 30, 2011 compared to nil for the
prior period. 75% of these costs were related to advertising
and marketing expenditures to promote the AN0C brand and business
during the launch phase. The balance of the AN0C G&A costs
were related to salary (19%) and other operating costs (6%).
Stock-based compensation was $0.8 million for the three months
ended June 30, 2011 compared with $0.8 million in the same quarter
of 2010. The number of common shares available for issue under the
stock compensation plan is 10% of the issued and outstanding common
shares. During the quarter, compensation from vesting stock
based compensation awards was recognized, due to previously granted
options, new granted and restricted shares.
G&A related depreciation and amortization expenses for the
three months ended June 30, 2011 were $0.9 million which is an
increase of $0.6 million over the $0.3 million at June 30,
2010. This is due to the increase in amortization of G&A
related assets in China at GLG's Runhao subsidiary which didn't
come into operation until late in the second quarter of 2010, as
well as amortization charged to SG&A rather than inventory and
cost of sales due to lower plant utilization in the second quarter
of 2011.
G&A for the stevia business for the six months ended June
30, 2011 was $5.5 million compared to $4.6 million in the same
period in 2010. The increase of $0.9 million was due to
extended maintenance periods during Chinese New Year at all four
facilities in comparison to the prior period which only had three
facilities for shorter maintenance periods.
G&A for the consumer beverage business was $11.7 million for
the six month period ended June 30, 2011 compared to nil for the
prior period. 76% of these costs were related to advertising
and marketing expenditures to promote the AN0C brand and business
during the launch phase. The balance of the AN0C G&A costs
were related to salary (18%) and other operating costs (6%).
Stock-based compensation was $1.6 million for the six months
ended June 30, 2011 compared with $1.5 million in the same period
in 2010. The slight increase is due to the grant of restricted
shares and stock options in the second quarter of 2011. The number
of common shares available for issue under the stock compensation
plan is 10% of the issued and outstanding common
shares. During the period, compensation from vesting stock
based compensation awards was recognized, due to previously granted
options, new granted and restricted shares.
G&A related depreciation and amortization expenses for the
six months ended June 30, 2011 were $1.6 million which is an
increase of $1.0 million over the $0.6 million at June 30,
2010. This is due to a) the increase in amortization of
G&A related assets in China at GLG's Runhao subsidiary which
came into operation during the second quarter of 2010 and b) during
the maintenance period in the first quarter of 2011 some of the
amortization charges were allocated to SG&A rather than to
inventory and cost of sales.
Other Expenses
|
|
|
|
|
In thousands Canadian $ |
3 Months Ended Jun
30 |
% Change |
6 Months Ended Jun
30 |
% Change |
|
2011 |
2010 |
|
2011 |
2010 |
|
Other Income (Expenses) |
($1,642) |
($559) |
194% |
($3,337) |
($1,841) |
81% |
% of
Revenue |
(11%) |
(5%) |
(5%) |
(15%) |
(10%) |
(5%) |
Other expenses for the three months ended June 30, 2011 was $1.6
million, a $1.0 million increase as compared to $0.6 million for
the same period in 2010. Other expenses are mainly driven by
interest expense that is incurred on the Company's short term loans
held in China and foreign exchange rate fluctuations. Interest
expense increased by $0.5 million in the three months ended June
30, 2011 compared to June 30, 2010 due to the increase in the short
term loan balance in China, combined with an increase in the
average interest rate paid on the loans. Foreign exchange loss for
the three months ended June 30, 2011 increased by $0.5 million to
$0.2 million loss in Q2 2011 from $0.3 million gain for the same
period in 2010.
Other expenses for the six months ended June 30, 2011 was $3.3
million, a $1.5 million increase as compared to $1.8 million for
the same period in 2010. Other expenses are mainly driven by
interest expense that is incurred on the Company's short term loans
held in China as well as foreign exchange gain/loss. Interest
expense increased by $1.1 million in the six months ended June 30,
2011 compared to June 30, 2011 due to the increase in the short
term loan balance in China, combined with an increase in the
average interest rate paid on the loans. Foreign exchange loss
increased by $0.5 million to $0.4 million compared to a foreign
exchange gain of $0.1 million in 2010. This was partially
offset by an increase of $0.1 million in interest income.
Income Tax Recovery (Expenses)
|
|
|
|
|
In thousands Canadian $ |
3 Months Ended Jun
30 |
% Change |
6 Months Ended Jun
30 |
% Change |
|
2011 |
2010 |
|
2011 |
2010 |
|
Income tax recovery
(expense) |
($1,093) |
$357 |
(406%) |
($912) |
($44) |
1967% |
Income tax expense as a percent
of revenue |
(7.2%) |
3% |
(11%) |
(4%) |
(.2%) |
(4%) |
During the three months ended June 30, 2011 the Company recorded
income tax expense of $1.1 million, a change of $1.5 million
compared to the income tax recovery of $0.4 million in the
comparable period in 2010.
During the six months ended June 30, 2011 the Company recorded
an income tax expense of $0.9 million compared to income tax
expense of $0.04 million in 2010.
The income tax expense for the three and six months ended June
30, 2011 was driven by changes in valuation allowances.
Net Income
|
|
|
|
|
In thousands Canadian $ |
3 Months Ended Jun
30 |
% Change |
6 Months Ended Jun
30 |
% Change |
|
2011 |
2010 |
|
2011 |
2010 |
|
Net Loss |
($12,514) |
($278) |
4401% |
($18,266) |
($1,674) |
991% |
percent of
revenue |
(82%) |
(3%) |
(79%) |
(81%) |
(9%) |
(72%) |
For the three months ended June 30, 2011, the Company had a net
loss attributable to the Company of $12.5 million, an increase of
$12.2 million over the comparable period in 2010. The increase
in net loss was driven by: (1) a decrease in gross profit of $0.6
million, (2) an increase in G&A expenses of $11.0 million
driven by the marketing and advertising costs for the start-up of
its AN0C joint venture, (3) an increase in interest expense and
other income/expenses of $1.1 million, and (4) an increase of $1.5
in income tax expense. These items were offset by the increase in
loss attributable to non-controlling interests of $2.0 million.
For the six months ended June 30, 2011, the Company had a net
loss attributable to the Company of $18.3 million, an increase of
$16.6 million over the comparable period in 2010. The increase
in net loss was driven by: (1) a decrease in gross profit of $2.6
million, (2) an increase in G&A expenses of $13.8 million
mainly associated with marketing and advertising costs for the
start-up of its AN0C joint venture, (3) an increase in interest
expense and other income/expenses of $1.5 million and (4) an
increase in income tax expense of $0.9 million. These items
were slightly offset by the increase in loss attributable to
non-controlling interests of $2.2 million.
Non-GAAP Financial Information
Consolidated EBITDA
EBITDA for the quarter ended June 30, 2011 was negative $6.7
million, compared to $2.9 million for the same period in
2010. EBITDA for the six months ended June 30, 2011 was
negative $8.0 million compared to $6.4 million for the six months
ended June 30, 2010. The main drivers for the decrease in EBITDA
are a) increased SG&A expenses attributable to the start-up of
at the Company's AN0C subsidiary and b) lower gross profit
(compared to the same period in 2010) for stevia sales due to lower
prices on RA80 products in place in the second quarter of 2011
compared to the prior period.
|
|
|
In thousands Canadian $ |
3 Months Ended Jun
30 |
6 Months Ended Jun
30 |
|
2011 |
2010 |
2011 |
2010 |
Income (Loss) Before Income Taxes and
Non-Controlling Interests |
($13,363) |
($640) |
($19,545) |
($1,647) |
Add: |
|
|
|
|
Net Interest
Expense |
$1,450 |
$935 |
$2,944 |
$1,965 |
Depreciation and
Amortization |
$2,338 |
$2,138 |
$4,428 |
$4,642 |
Foreign Exchange Loss
(Gain) |
$191 |
($334) |
$392 |
($82) |
Non-Controlling
Interests |
$1,943 |
$7 |
$2,192 |
$17 |
Non-Cash Share
Compensation |
$779 |
$756 |
$1,622 |
$1,473 |
EBITDA |
($6,662) |
$2,861 |
($7,967) |
$6,368 |
EBITDA as a % of
revenue |
(44%) |
27% |
(35%) |
34% |
EBITDA by Segment
Stevia business EBITDA for the three months ended June 30, 2011
was $1.1 million or 11% as percentage of revenues compared to $2.9
million and 27% as percentage of revenues. This
decrease is driven by lower RA 80 prices during the second quarter
of 2011 compared to the second quarter of 2010, and higher G&A
costs in the second quarter of 2011 compared to the comparable
period in the prior year. EBITDA as percentage of revenues has
increased from (6%) to 11% comparing the second quarter of 2011 to
the first quarter of 2011. This increase is due to the
achievement of a higher level of stevia sales in the second quarter
of 2011 compared to the first quarter of 2011 and improvements in
production costs at the Runhao facility for the Company's finished
goods. EBITDA for the stevia business for the six months ended June
30, 2011 was lower at $0.8 million as the second quarter's
efficiency improvements were partially offset by the costs related
to the first quarter's plant maintenance shut-down periods. EBITDA
for the AN0C consumer products was negative $7.8 million for the
three months ended June 30, 2011 and negative $8.7 million for the
6 months ended June 30, 2011. EBITDA performance is a reflection of
the initial start-up phase of AN0C's advertising and promotion
program to build its brand in the China market as well as encourage
the initial purchase of its products by consumers.
|
|
|
In thousands Canadian
$ |
3 Months ended
June 30, 2011 |
6 months ended
June 30, 2011 |
|
Stevia Business |
AN0C Consumer Products
Business |
Stevia Business |
AN0C Consumer Products
Business |
Income (Loss) Before Income Taxes and
Non-Controlling Interests |
($3,631) |
($9,733) |
($8,586) |
($10,960) |
Add: |
|
|
|
|
Net Interest
Expense |
$1,450 |
$0 |
$2,941 |
$3 |
Depreciation and
Amortization |
$2,336 |
$2 |
$4,426 |
$2 |
Foreign Exchange Loss
(Gain) |
$179 |
$12 |
$337 |
$55 |
Non-Controlling
Interests |
($0) |
$1,943 |
$4 |
$2,188 |
Non-Cash Share
Compensation |
$779 |
$0 |
$1,622 |
$0 |
|
$1,113 |
($7,775) |
$745 |
($8,712) |
EBITDA as a % of
revenue |
11% |
(161%) |
3% |
(47%) |
Capital Expenditures
GLG's capital expenditures of $2.3 million for the second
quarter of 2011 reflected a decrease of 50% in comparison to $4.6
million in the second quarter of 2011. Expenditures for the first
six months were $2.6 million compared to $10.5 million in 2010, a
decrease of 75%. In 2011, the main asset additions were for stevia
distillation equipment, the waste water treatment plant, production
storage, and security equipment.
|
|
|
|
|
In thousands Canadian $ |
3 Months Ended June
30 |
% Change |
6 Months ended June
30 |
% Change |
|
2011 |
2010 |
|
2011 |
2010 |
|
Capital
Expenditures |
$2,259 |
$4,551 |
(50%) |
$2,597 |
$10,457 |
(75%) |
Financial Resources
Cash and cash equivalents increased by $9.2 million during the
six months ended June 30, 2011. Working capital increased to
$44.5 million from the year-end 2010 position of $7.0 million.
The working capital increase can be attributed to a net
increase of cash due to the issuance of common shares from the
Company's short form prospectus and collection of accounts
receivable, as well as an increase in inventory and prepaid
expenses. See balance sheet discussion below for movement in
specific accounts. The decrease of short term loans was $17.9
million due to the repayment without renewal of $120,000,000 RMB of
loans in the first six months of 2011. Additionally, the Company
renewed $31.3 million CAD ($210,000,000 RMB) of loans in the six
months ended June 30, 2011.
Balance Sheet
In comparison to December 31, 2010, total assets increased by
$19.1 million as at June 30, 2011, which was split by an increase
in current assets of $23.2 million and a decrease of capital assets
of $4.1 million. The increase in the current assets was mainly
driven by the following:
1. Increase of $23.5 million in inventory. This was due to
the purchase of approximately $20 million worth of raw material
inventory to meet sales with its local China Partner for the China
Sugar Reserve Opportunity and other customer
requirements. This lead to (a) the net decrease of $8.3
million ($10.3 million in Stevia raw materials and $2.0 million for
AN0C) in raw materials inventories as raw material on hand as well
as the material that was purchased in the quarter was processed
into work in progress and finished goods. This was offset by (b)
the increase in work in progress inventories of $26.0 million to
meet future 2011 customer orders; and (c) the $5.8 million increase
in finished product inventories (which includes an increase of $0.3
million related to AN0C).
2. Increase in cash and cash equivalents of $9.2 million, which
can be attributed to the proceeds from the February 2011 equity
financing and collection of accounts receivable.
3. Increase in prepaid expenses of $7.6 million, which was
driven by prepayments for AN0C production to contracted OEM
bottlers.
These were partially offset by
4. Decrease of $15.8 million accounts receivable due to the
collection of cash in the first six months of 2011, which related
to sales in the fourth quarter of 2010 as well as well as new sales
in 2011.
5. Decrease in taxes recoverable of $1.3 million.
The decrease in the fixed and other long term assets of $4.1
million was due primarily to amortization and the depreciation of
the Canadian dollar against the RMB. This was partially offset
by some additions to property, plant and equipment.
Current liabilities decreased by $14.3 million as at June 30,
2011 in comparison to December 31, 2010, driven by a net decrease
in short term loans of approximately $19.0 million and a decrease
in interest payable of $0.3 million. This was partially offset
by the increase of accounts payable of $5.0 million.
Long term liabilities decreased by $6.2 million due to the
reduction of the related party loan which was repaid with the cash
collected from the accounts receivable, as well as the decrease in
the deferred income tax liability.
Shareholders' equity increased by $39.6 million due to a) the
issuance of common shares for the equity financing and stock based
compensation of $55.3 million b) the decrease in accumulated other
comprehensive income of $1.8 million, c) an increase in deficit of
$18.3 million, and d) an increase in non-controlling interests of
$4.4 million.
China Lines of Credit and Short Term Loans
As at June 30, 2011, the Company had the following short term
loans balances in China to finance its expansion and
operations:
|
Loan amount in
C$ |
Loan amount in
RMB |
Maturity Date |
Interest rate per
annum |
Lender |
|
|
|
|
|
$ 14,920,028 |
100,000,000 |
July 27, 2011 |
6.34% |
Bank of Communication |
2,536,404 |
17,000,000 |
July 29, 2011 |
6.31% |
Agricultural Bank of China |
2,984,006 |
20,000,000 |
August 5, 2011 |
6.94% |
CITIC Bank |
14,920,028 |
100,000,000 |
August 25, 2011 |
6.34% |
Bank of Communication |
2,984,006 |
20,000,000 |
August 30, 2011 |
6.31% |
Agricultural Bank of China |
2,984,006 |
20,000,000 |
September 14, 2011 |
6.94% |
CITIC Bank |
1,492,003 |
10,000,000 |
September 28, 2011 |
6.31% |
Agricultural Bank of China |
1,492,003 |
10,000,000 |
October 18, 2011 |
6.31% |
Agricultural Bank of China |
447,601 |
3,000,000 |
October 27, 2011 |
6.44% |
Agricultural Bank of China |
4,476,009 |
30,000,000 |
October 28, 2011 |
6.44% |
Agricultural Bank of China |
2,984,006 |
20,000,000 |
December 17, 2011 |
6.06% |
Construction Bank of China |
4,476,009 |
30,000,000 |
December 23, 2011 |
6.06% |
Construction Bank of China |
8,952,017 |
60,000,000 |
June 9, 2012 |
6.81% |
Agricultural Bank of China |
2,984,006 |
20,000,000 |
June 16, 2012 |
6.81% |
Agricultural Bank of China |
11,936,023 |
80,000,000 |
June 20, 2012 |
6.81% |
Agricultural Bank of China |
|
|
|
|
|
$ 80,568,155 |
540,000,000 |
|
|
|
During the period ended June 30, 2011 the Company repaid loans
totaling $17,928,000 CAD (120,000,000 RMB). The loans were
held by the Bank of Construction in China and the CITIC Bank and
had interest rates ranging from 5.31%-6.67% per annum. The
short term loan and bank loans do not have any attached
covenants.
On July 29, 2011 the Company renewed a short term loan of
$2,519,400 ($17,000,000 RMB) from the Agricultural bank of
China. This loan bears a floating interest rate of the 7.08%
as announced by the People's Bank of China.
During the second quarter and subsequent to the quarter, the
Company decided to consolidate and restructure its outstanding
short term debt and has repaid a portion of the short term loans
outstanding (see below) in order to reduce its interest
costs. The Company plans to utilize a portion of the RMB 1
billion credit facility which was a commitment included in the key
agreement signed with the Fengyang County Government and the
Chuzhou City Government in June 2011 as required. The credit
line is expected to have interest rates discounted to market rates,
as well as longer term maturities which are expected to reduce the
company's interest expense on comparable short term loans that it
had recently paid down. GLG is currently completing the application
process, and expects that the first half of the funds will be
available for drawdown before the end of September 2011.
On July 27, 2011 the Company repaid a loan totaling $14,700,000
CAD ($100,000,000 RMB). The loan was held by the Bank of
Communication in China at an interest rate of 6.34% per annum. On
August 5, 2011, the Company repaid a second short term loan
totaling $3,056,000 CAD ($20,000,000 RMB). The loan was held
by the CITIC Bank in China at an interest rate of 6.94% per
annum.
The assets of the Company's subsidiaries have been pledged as
collateral for the short term bank loans. Land of two
subsidiaries has also been used as collateral for the above
facilities.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
|
In thousands Canadian $ |
30-Jun-11 |
31-Dec-10 |
|
|
|
Cash and Cash
Equivalents |
$32,986 |
$23,817 |
Working Capital |
$44,485 |
$6,999 |
Total Assets |
$300,492 |
$281,407 |
Total Liabilities |
$108,902 |
$129,399 |
Loan Payable (1
year) |
$0 |
$0 |
Total Equity |
$187,222 |
$152,004 |
Capital Structure
Outstanding Share Data as at August 15, 2011
|
|
Shares |
Common Shares
Issued |
33,126,584 |
Reserved For
Issuance |
|
Warrants |
2,645,000 |
Stock Options |
506,955 |
Reserved For Issuance -
Other |
62,500 |
Total Reserved For
Issuance |
3,214,455 |
Fully Diluted
Shares |
36,341,039 |
Subsequent to June 30, 2011, 10,250 stock options were
forfeited.
Market and Key Markets
Outlook
China
China's Economy Performance to Date and
Outlook
In the first half of 2011, volatile international environment
coupled with domestic economic challenges pushed the Central Party
Committee and the State Council to tighten fiscal and monetary
policies in order to slow down the growth of the China's economy to
a more sustainable level. Since October 2010, the
People's Bank of China has raised interest rates five times and
banks' required reserve ratio nine times to rein in
inflation. With inflation still at a high level, the People's
Bank of China may continue to raise interest rates or hike the
banks' required reserve ratios in the second half of 2011.
According to preliminary estimates by the National Bureau of
Statistics of China, China's gross domestic product (GDP) grew 9.6%
year-on-year. The growth in the first quarter was 9.7%, and 9.5% in
the second quarter. The gross domestic product of the second
quarter of 2011 went up by 2.2% over the first quarter of 2011.
Urban and rural residents' income increased steadily with a
higher growth for rural residents. In the first half of this year,
the per capita total income of urban households was 12,076 yuan,
with per capita disposable income of 11,041 yuan, a year-on-year
growth of 13.2%, or a real growth of 7.6% after adjusting for
inflation. The per capita cash income of rural population was 3,706
yuan, up by 20.4% year-on-year, or 13.7% growth in real
terms. The rural wage income growth was 20.1%. GLG and
AN0C has worked closely with the Chuzhou City Government and the
Fengyang County Government to develop the AN0C business, which has
become a role model for how a rural agriculturally based economy
can build a value added industry around an agriculture crop, like
stevia.
Agricultural production grew steadily, with a good harvest from
summer grain production. The total output of summer grain increased
2.5% year-on-year. In the first half of this year, the total output
of pork, beef, mutton and poultry showed a slight year-on-year
growth of 0.2%. Industrial production realized a steady growth
with further improved economic efficiency. In the first half of
this year, the total value added of the industrial enterprises
above increased by 14.3% year-on-year. Share-holding enterprises
grew by 16.1%, outperforming the value added growth of the
state-owned and state holding enterprises (+10.7%) and collective
enterprises (+ 9.6%). The growth in eastern, central and western
regions was up by 12.4%, 17.8% and 17.3% respectively.
Sales in domestic markets enjoyed a steady growth. In the first
half of this year, the total retail sales of consumer goods reached
8.6 trillion yuan, a year-on-year rise of 16.8%., with the retail
sales in urban areas reaching 7.4 trillion yuan, up by 16.9%, and
the retail sales in rural areas achieving 1.1 trillion yuan, up by
16.2%. According to a recent report published by
Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) in early August, urban
middle class reached over 230 million people, or 37% of the urban
population in 2009. CASS forecasts that the middle class could
make up over 50% of the urban population by 2023. History has
shown that as income grows, quality and convenience will become the
dominant theme in the food and beverage markets. As consumers
will try to maintain a balanced and healthy lifestyle, AN0C
products will be at the leading edge of this trend.
According to the 12th Five-Year Plan, the performance of
government officials would be evaluated by a comprehensive
criterion which gives higher weight to improving people's living
standards, instead of blindly chasing GDP growth. About 170
million people have moved to Chinese cities from the country's
rural areas over the last 10 years, according to figures released
by CASS in 2010. Over the next 20 years, another 360 million
people are expected to move from the countryside to cities in
China. China's State Information Center reported at the end of
June that it expects China's GDP to grow by 9.3% in 2011. CPI
is forecasted to increase 4.9% this year, with foodstuff seeing the
highest increases surging double-digits percent points. This
can be seen in the food and beverage industry's input costs, for
example, sugar prices in China increasing 33% in the second quarter
2011 compared with the second quarter last year. AN0C can
leverage the fact that it uses stevia as an all-natural
zero-calorie sweetener instead of sugar. With June's inflation rate
at a three-year high of 6.4%, and July expected to see CPI continue
to increase, China's economic priority seems to be the
stabilization of overall price level balanced with steady economic
development.
The Company believes that China presents the largest market
opportunity for its high-grade stevia products and future
growth. There are two opportunities that the Company sees and
is currently developing.
(1) Zero or reduced calorie consumer
products - The Company announced the AN0CTM joint venture
in December 2010 and has launched the first six AN0CTM beverage
products in late March 2011. AN0C is expected to contribute
material new revenues in 2011 (see AN0C revenue outlook section for
details). China's per capita GDP is expected to grow from RMB 9,315
in 2007 to RMB 28,195 in 20171 and with its expected growth will
come increased consumption in the food and beverage sector in
China. Since China opened its door to the world in 1978, the
China food industry has kept a 13.1% average annual growth rate
from 1980 to 2001. In 2001, the total China food industry revenue
reached RMB 900 billion (equivalent to about US$ 130
billion). More recently, from 2002 to 2009, the food industry
in China kept a 23% average annual growth rate and in 2009, the
total revenue reached RMB 4.7 trillion (equivalent to US$ 693
billion). The Company believes that China's food industry will
continue its fast growth for the next 10-20 years, as the Chinese
middle class population and wealth continues to increase.
(2) Industrial sales of stevia extract
for use by the food and beverage Industry - China's
continued growth in GDP and expansion of its middle class has
resulted in strong growth in China's food and beverage
Industry. This, in turn, has resulted in strong growth in
domestic sugar demand. Domestic production of sugar in China has
not been sufficient to meet the growing demand for sugar in China,
which has resulted in a shortfall of sugar supply. In 2009,
China imported over 1.5 million metric tons of sugar worth
approximately US$1.1 billion and in 2010 the shortfall was 3
million metric tons of sugar. This sugar shortage is expected
to grow as the population continues to grow and per capita sugar
consumption increases. China has also seen a large increase in
health related problems including growth in diabetes and obesity
rates.
2011 China Sugar Market Update – On August 5th,
2011 the China Sugar Reserve auctioned 200,000 metric tonnes of
sugar from state reserves that fetched a new record average price
of about CNY7,731 (US$1,202) per metric tonne, according to Dow
Jones. The highest price at the auction, which is open to food
companies, was CNY7,860/tonne while the lowest was
CNY7,610/tonne. So far, the government has sold 1.5 million
tonnes from reserves this year, Dow Jones Newswires calculations
showed. Sugar prices are scaling new highs in China due to a
decline in domestic output and strong demand in the busy
consumption season. More crude sugar is expected to
arrive at ports, which will be refined to replenish state
reserves. China will likely sell more from reserves in
the next two months to ensure market supply and stabilize
prices. The China Sugar Association said earlier that
China will face a supply deficit of around 2 million tonnes this
year.
As a result, GLG has been in discussions with FXY, its China
partner, and the Chinese central government on a plan to address:
(a) the domestic sugar shortage, (b) health concerns over too much
sugar in the diet and; (c) the creation of more wealth for China's
farmers through stevia production. The plan is to provide to
the China Sugar Reserve ("CSR") a blend of sugar and stevia to
reduce calories by 67% relative to traditional natural sugar-based
sweeteners for use in food and beverage products in China. We
believe that the blended sugar/stevia approach to sweeteners in
China offers the following advantages:
- stevia is more agriculturally efficient compared with sugar as
it requires approximately 1/12th the land to grow;
- stevia provides higher income to farmers than other crops
(approximately two to three times).
- we believe that a sugar/stevia blend ("Low Calorie Sugar") is a
healthier sweetener, with one-third the calories of sugar while
providing a similar taste and mouth feel of sugar. We believe that
the use of Low Calorie Sugar will help to address the growing
concerns over obesity and diabetes rates in China; and
- Low Calorie Sugar requires sixty-seven percent less sugar to
produce, so the blend helps to address the growing sugar shortage
issue.
|
|
1 Freedonia Beverage Containers
in China Report, May 1, 2009. |
China Beverage Industry Outlook2
According to a Euromonitor report in February, China's soft
drinks market has an expected CAGR of 9.5% for the period of
2010-2015, with 2011 volume growth expected at almost 11%
year-over-year. However, research analysts have reported that
volume and sales growth in the Chinese beverage industry in 2Q 2011
may be lower than expected due to the more moderate temperatures
and later summer compared to 2010. Consumers' increasing concerns
regarding health, and manufacturers' efforts in terms of product
segmentation will result in certain beverage categories having
higher growth rates. For example, RTD tea, which is regarded as the
healthiest soft drink type (even healthier than fruit or vegetable
juice because of the low sugar content), is expected to see the
strongest growth at almost 20% compared with 2010. The soft drinks
market is seeing intense competition among both domestic companies
and multinational beverage corporations. However, rather than
competing on price and through discounting, manufacturers are
expected to compete through new product launches and creative
marketing methods in order to maintain profit margins. New product
launches keep brands fresh, draw consumer attention, and help
manufacturers increase awareness and stimulate sales growth. Brand
image is also becoming an increasingly important factor, as
consumers become more sophisticated and disposable incomes rise.
Manufacturers are expected to continue to invest in raising the
profile of their brands.
A research report published by BNP at the end of July that
commented on Tingyi Holdings (owns Master Kong brand) highlighted
that the weather in China in 2Q 2011 was more moderate and did not
have an early summer. RTD tea is one of the categories that is
affected by seasonality, with its peak selling season falling in
the summer and early fall of each year. Another research report,
published by Citi, also commented that the unfavourable weather may
impact the sales growth of Tingyi Holdings and Uni-President China
in the second quarter of 2011.
Healthier beverages and food is the one trend that is common
throughout China, from consumers in East China who typically have
higher incomes and more exposure to foreign markets, to consumers
in Southwest China who have a longstanding habit of tea drinking,
to consumers in Northeast China, where in large cities such as
Beijing consumers are increasingly buying in convenience stores and
are prepared to pay the higher prices in these outlets. According
to Euromonitor, sales growth of traditional carbonates has slowed
because of its unhealthy image. Manufacturers have emphasized more
on the functional or healthy features of their products, such as
low sugar, low calorie content, added vitamins or being free of
additives. Further market segmentation of soft drinks is expected
to meet the specific demands of different consumers. For example,
the concept of "natural" or sugar-free is likely to attract more
attention from consumers who are looking for healthier drinks.
AN0CTM is the only nationally distributed brand in China with all
naturally sweetened zero-calorie products. In 2011, AN0CTM will
launch a total of 32 SKUs across six traditional beverage
categories and in two functional beverage categories.
Although the soft drinks market is forecasted to grow almost 11%
in 2011, the rise in the CPI so far in 2011 has led to a
significant increase in the costs of raw materials and labour. As a
result, manufacturers' profit margins are under pressure. Due to
the intense nature of competition within the industry,
manufacturers have been very cautious about increasing prices.
Instead, changes to packaging have been used to relieve the cost
pressure. One packaging trend has been the use of less plastic (PET
chip costs have increased over 34% in the second quarter of 2011
compared with the second quarter of 2010), which reduces the cost
of the bottles. However, many products are "me-too" products that
have similar packaging designs that make it hard for consumers to
differentiate between products. AN0CTM products have a unique value
preposition, being the only nationally distributed all-natural
zero-calorie beverages that taste great. Another trend is the
introduction of new slimmer and taller packaging, which effectively
reduces the size of the bottle and indirectly raises prices. AN0CTM
recently launched new custom branded bottles to better
differentiate from other competitors' products, but still kept the
original 500ml size.
The focus on the AN0CTM brand from an overall brand concept
perspective, rather than on a product basis, means that we are able
to leverage brand recognition across all our product lines.
Consumers are becoming aware that AN0C stands for a line of
"naturally sweetened, zero calorie" beverage products that are
better for you. From the beginning, AN0C's goal was to be the
number one all-natural zero calorie beverage and food brand in
China, and AN0C management knew that national distribution for
these products was a fundamental requirement that needed to be
achieved as quickly as possible. Early on, AN0C was able to secure
national distributors such as Walmart, Carrefour, Metro and Tesco
to carry its products. According to Euromonitor, cooperating with
large-scale retailers, such as Wal-Mart and Carrefour, to develop
modern sales channels has become one of the key factors of
successful distribution in China. Euromonitor reported that the
sales share of different retail channels is gradually changing, as
supermarkets and hypermarkets become more popular. Consumption
habits are changing, with some consumers believing that products
sold at supermarkets are safer and also cheaper than in other
channels.
|
|
2 Euromonitor, Soft Drinks –
China Report, February 2011 |
Distribution Relationships in Key Markets
Given the significance of the China market opportunity to the
Company's expected future growth, the Company's distribution
arrangements in other key markets will be its main approach to
sales outside of China. The Company signed a number of
these distribution agreements in 2010 for South America, Australia,
New Zealand, Mexico, the US, India and the Middle East. These
distribution agreements are expected to contribute to stevia
revenues outside of China in 2011. The number of agreements has
increased during the first half of 2011 with agreements being
signed with M. Cassab for Brazil and Argentina and International
Flavour and Fragrances. A new sales focus has also been established
in Europe to capitalize on the additional opportunities in the EMEA
region in advance of an expected positive regulatory ruling in the
EU and India in 2011. The Company continues to see global demand
for stevia extracts to be used either in a zero calorie application
or a blend of sucrose and stevia for reduced calorie/better-for-you
products.
The Company is currently in discussions with other distributors
to further its 2011 business development goals, which are expected
to be announced throughout the balance of 2011 for the US, China,
Europe, Africa and other Asian markets.
Business Outlook Summary
- World sugar prices were close to 30 year record high prices at
the start of 2011 (approximately $700 per tonne) and have remained
in the range of $600 to $800 per tonne for the past six months. We
believe that in the long term, sugar prices will remain high in the
future driven by supply shortages and material increases in
demand.
- Shortages for sugar are now occurring in some key markets such
as China, resulting in higher ingredient prices that food and
beverage companies will need to pay.
- Health concerns over obesity and diabetes remain high and are
driving both government policy (e.g. Mexico, China) and new product
introductions. We are now seeing government policy in China
starting to come into place such as the Capital Municipal Health
Bureau in Beijing that will be focusing on decreasing student
obesity rates through a variety of new initiatives including
ensuring healthier foods and drinks to be served in schools.
- New markets for stevia are expected to open up in late 2011,
including the European Union and India.
- We are seeing a slower rate of product launches in North
America than we originally expected.
- We are seeing a slower rate of product launches in Mexico,
Central and South America than we originally expected in 2011.
- We expect that our focus on China and surrounding Asian markets
will lead to higher rates of growth than in North America and the
EU.
GLG has successfully demonstrated in 2010 that a stevia/sugar
blend not only meets the tastes requirement for sweeteners, but
also is now more cost effective than sugar. AN0CTM's products also
are expected to demonstrate consumer products can be sweetened with
stevia in both a zero calorie and reduced calorie variety while
providing a similar taste to fully sugar sweetened products in the
Chinese market in 2011.
As a result of these key trends and issues, the Company sees
long term growth ahead for its products. The Company further
expects the majority of its revenue growth to come from China in
2011. We expect that other markets will move slower in 2011 than we
originally expected, however our success with our consumer products
in China is starting to positively influence the other markets
where we operate. A key new initiative that we expect will increase
the speed at which food and beverage customers will launch products
is the newly created AN0C Stevia Solutions Company. Through this
new company, we will be providing turn-key formulations for our
beverage and food products that are being launched by AN0C in
China. We are already working on opportunities in India
and the Middle East and we expect to further increase activities in
the other markets that we currently serve.
2011 Outlook
GLG financial guidance for 2011 includes both its stevia
sweetener business as well as its new consumer products business
(AN0CTM). This is a pivotal year for the Company as it launches its
consumer products joint venture AN0CTM.
The Company's guidance for 2011 prepared in accordance with US
GAAP is as follows:
$Canadian Millions |
Lower End |
Upper End |
Revenue |
$130 |
$170 |
Earnings Before Interest Tax &
Depreciation (EBITDA)1 |
$9 |
$18 |
Capital Expenditures (CAPEX) |
$5 |
$10 |
A breakdown of 2011 guidance by the Company's two main business
segments (stevia sweeteners and consumer products) is as
follows:
$Canadian Millions |
Lower End |
Upper End |
|
|
|
Stevia Revenue |
$60 |
$70 |
AN0C Revenue2 |
$70 |
$100 |
|
|
|
Stevia EBITDA |
$19 |
$23 |
AN0C EBITDA3 |
($10) |
($5) |
|
|
|
Stevia CAPEX |
$5 |
$10 |
AN0C CAPEX |
$0 |
$0 |
|
1. EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure.
GLG calculates it by adding to net income before taxes: |
(1) depreciation and amortization
expense as reported on the cash flow statement, |
(2) other income
(expenses), |
(3) stock-based compensation
expense, and |
(4) non-controlling interest. This
might not be the same definition used by other
companies. |
2. At 100% Consolidation |
3. At 80% Consolidation to reflect 20%
minority interest in joint venture |
Stevia Revenue Forecast
The Company has achieved a $7 million order to our Chinese
Partner related to the China Sugar Reserve opportunity in the
second quarter, which represents 18% of the original CSR sales
forecast for 2011. GLG's partner FXY is on schedule to complete the
first 10,000 metric tonnes Healthy Sugar production line at the end
of September 2011. Completion of this expansion is an important
milestone in moving the Healthy Sugar opportunity forward with the
CSR in order to demonstrate the production capabilities. The
Company will know definitively the timing on the next delivery to
FXY once those facilities have been approved by the CSR. The
Company's confidence in the project remains high for the following
reasons:
- Talks with CSR have indicated their strong interest in moving
this project forward.
- FXY took material much earlier in 2011 than we originally
expected for the CSR project.
- China's sugar prices remain high and the shortage of sugar in
China has continued in 2011
- The success of the AN0C consumer products is starting to have
the desired effect of increasing interest in sweetening food and
beverage in China with stevia.
- China's media are putting out more and more articles about the
dangers of consuming too much sugar.
- Policies such as the one by Municipal Capital Health Bureau
targeting healthier foods and beverages in Beijing schools to
reduce childhood obesity.
Markets outside of China including the US, Mexico, South
America, and Australia have been active with customer projects,
however, the time that it is taking to convert projects into
launched products is taking longer than originally
anticipated. Therefore, distributors are taking longer
to work through product inventories delivered in the fourth quarter
of 2010, and we are decreasing our revenue expectations in 2011
from those customers as a result. A key to increased second half
2011 revenue generation will be the products and solutions of AN0C
Stevia Solutions which was announced on July 26th. We are seeing
interest from a number of existing customers and international
companies as they look to overcome some of the traditional
challenges in formulating with stevia. We expect AN0C Stevia
Solutions to accelerate stevia sales going forward as they can
offer significant advantages to a company looking to formulate good
tasting beverage and food products.
Other key assumptions include raw sugar prices remaining in the
range of $600 to $800 per metric tonne and the RMB to USD exchange
rate declining approximately 3% in 2011. The Canadian dollar to the
US dollar exchange rate is assumed to be at par for the year.
As of August 15th, we have seen (1) sugar prices fluctuate
throughout 2011 between $600 per metric tonne to $800 per tonne,
(2) a decline in the RMB to USD exchange of 1.9% and, (3) the
Canadian Dollar has risen above the USD by approximately 3%. We
will continue to monitor these critical assumptions for the balance
of the year.
Stevia EBITDA Forecast
The stevia business is expected to generate $19 to $23 million
of EBITDA in 2011 driven by the reduced revenue forecast for 2011.
EBITDA margins are expected to improve in the last half of 2011
with the expected introduction of Huinong 2 ("H2") special leaf
variety in the 2011 harvest year. It is expected the Company will
grow 100% of its stevia leaf requirements in 2011 with the H2
strain. As previously announced, the H2 strain is expected to
deliver reduced stevia leaf processing costs starting in late third
quarter 2011. Also, as approximately 75% of the projected revenues
are expected to be generated in China, any future appreciation of
the RMB against the USD will have a much lower impact on GLG's
projected EBITDA. As of August 15th, we can confirm (1) our
expectations that 100% of this year's stevia harvest is expected to
come from our Huinong 2 seed variety which is critical to our
assumption on decreasing production costs starting late Q3 2011 and
(2) the majority of revenues are expected to be generated within
China in 2011. Inflation in China has impacted our salary costs in
our stevia business which has resulted in higher G&A costs
incurred to date and we anticipate those costs to be higher than
forecast for the balance of 2011.
Capex Forecast
The Company is expected to incur some maintenance capital
expenditures for its four stevia processing facilities in China and
does not expect to increase capacity in 2011 based on the stevia
revenue forecast for the year. The current revenue generating
capacity of its four facilities is between $250 and $300 million
per annum. As of August 15th, we do not see any change to the
outlook for capex.
AN0CTM Revenue Forecast
With the success of our RTD tea products following only three
months of sales, we plan to roll out 32 SKU's across six major
beverage categories plus functional (health) products. We will be
expanding the addressable markets that we originally planned to
enter with 12 SKU's with an estimated market value of $6 billion to
32 SKU's with an estimated market value of over $21 billion.
Management expects to see increased sales of our RTD tea products
in the remaining two quarters of 2011 and expects our new product
launches will perform as well as our RTD teas have, to date.
Management also expects that the revenue opportunity to still be in
the original range that we communicated in January of 2011 ($70 to
$100 million).
The AN0CTM revenue forecast assumes the launch of 32 beverage
product SKU's across six major categories of beverages, including
ready-to-drink tea, carbonated soft drinks, juice milk, children's
beverage products, vitamin enriched water and herbal teas, and two
categories of functional drinks, anti-aging and detoxification.
This product launch plan has been increased significantly from the
original plan of 12 SKU's. The launch of the products in the major
beverage categories is planned to occur on or before September
30th, 2011, and the functional drinks launch on or before October
31, 2011. The other critical assumptions on achieving the revenue
forecast is the expectation that the new products sell as well as
the RTD teas have sold. The Company plans to leverage its existing
brand equity investment as well as its distribution channels and
sales staff to launch these products more quickly into the market.
This plan assumes that over 50% of sales will be in the fourth
quarter of 2011.
AN0C's pricing policy is to maintain a 10% to 15% premium over
the leading national RTD tea brands. With the success of the RTD
tea launches and the onset of the busy summer peak season, AN0C
expects retail pricing to realign with its pricing policy.
Other key assumptions for the revenue forecast include the
Company's expectation that the China food and beverage market will
grow 20% in 2011 and that the Company will be able to launch its
products in China nationwide, covering both major and regional
cities in most provinces. Research analysts have raised concerns
that volume and sales growth in the Chinese beverage industry may
be lower than expected due to the more moderate temperatures and
later summer compared to 2010. Our newly re-launched RTD teas
with new bottles, packaging and an improved taste are already in 41
major cities across China. The company has also introduced its new
Vitamin enhanced water in the 41 major cities. The newly
re-launched RTD teas will reach 300 cities during the third
quarter.
AN0CTM EBITDA Forecast
The Company is revising AN0C's expected EBITDA for 2011 to
negative $10 million on $70 million of sales and negative $5
million on $100 million of sales. This decrease in EBITDA is driven
by two factors: (1) lower gross margin of 10% percentage points and
(2) higher forecast for advertising expenditures. As
communicated in the first quarter MD&A, we warned of the
possible impact of higher operating costs due to China's inflation
and also the possibility of higher than originally forecasted
advertising expenditures. China's consumer price index rose 5.3% in
the first half of 2011. Input costs such as PET chips for AN0C's
bottling costs and fuel and transportation costs have been higher
than originally planned, and have impacted our product gross
margins. AN0C's first priority for the development of the AN0CTM
business is to take a leading position in the marketplace and to
build the number one brand for consumer products in the
all-natural, zero calorie food and beverage sector. This was the
most important objective for AN0CTM in 2011, rather than EBITDA
generation. It was determined during the second quarter that
AN0C would need to increase the level of television advertising to
create the base level of consumer awareness of this new company and
its products. AN0C was successful in building its brand and
increasing its brand awareness with the advertising and promotional
investments in the second quarter and as a result of these
successful efforts, AN0C's advertising & promotions expenses
for the second half of 2011 are not expected to continue at such a
high level. AN0C also plans to target its 10% to 15% premium
pricing policy following the successful launch of its RTD teas as
the consumers in China perceive them of a higher quality than
comparable national brands on the market that are sugar sweetened.
The forecast assumes the gross margin on its RTD tea beverages will
average 20% gross margin for the balance of 2011.
About GLG Life Tech Corporation
GLG Life Tech Corporation is a global leader in the supply of
high purity stevia extracts, an all-natural, zero-calorie sweetener
used in food and beverages. The Company's vertically integrated
operations cover each step in the stevia supply chain including
non-GMO stevia seed breeding, natural propagation, stevia leaf
growth and harvest, proprietary extraction and refining, marketing
and distribution of finished product. GLG's advanced technology,
extraction technique and premier, high quality product offerings
make it a leading producer of high purity, great tasting stevia
extracts. For further information, please visit
www.glglifetech.com.
The GLG Life Tech Corporation logo is available at
http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=7994
About AN0C™
AN0C focuses on the sale and distribution of all-natural
zero-calorie food and beverage products in China that are sweetened
with stevia provided by GLG Life Tech Corporation. GLG is a global
leader in the supply of high quality stevia extracts and holds an
80% controlling stake in AN0C with China and Healthy Foods Company
Limited (CAHFC) holding 20%. Dr. Luke Zhang, Chairman and CEO of
AN0C, is supported by an experienced team of senior executives
recruited from the beverage industry in China. For further
information, please visit www.an0c.com.
Forward-looking statements: This press release
contains certain information that may constitute "forward-looking
statements" and "forward looking information" (collectively,
"forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable
securities laws. Such forward-looking statements include, without
limitation, statements evaluating the market, potential demand for
stevia and general economic conditions and discussing
future-oriented costs and expenditures. Often, but not always,
forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words
such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected",
"budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends",
"anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes" or variations
of such words and phrases or words and phrases that state or
indicate that certain actions, events or results "may", "could",
"would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved.
While the Company has based these forward-looking statements on
its current expectations about future events, the statements are
not guarantees of the Company's future performance and are subject
to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors which could
cause actual results to differ materially from future results
expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such
factors include amongst others the effects of general economic
conditions, consumer demand for our products and new orders from
our customers and distributors, changing foreign exchange rates and
actions by government authorities, uncertainties associated with
legal proceedings and negotiations, industry supply levels,
competitive pricing pressures and misjudgments in the course of
preparing forward-looking statements. Specific reference is made to
the risks set forth under the heading "Risk Factors" in the
Company's Annual Information Form for the financial year ended
December 31, 2010. In light of these factors, the forward-looking
events discussed in this press release might not occur.
Further, although the Company has attempted to identify factors
that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ
materially from those described in forward-looking statements,
there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results
not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company
undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise.
As there can be no assurance that forward-looking statements
will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events
could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements,
readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking
statements.
Financial outlook information contained in this press release
about prospective results of operations, capital expenditures or
financial position is based on assumptions about future events,
including economic conditions and proposed courses of action, based
on management's assessment of the relevant information as of the
date hereof. Such financial outlook information should not be used
for purposes other than those for which it is disclosed herein.
CONTACT: Sophia Luke, Vice President of Investor Relations
Phone: +1 (604) 669-2602 ext 104
Fax: +1 (604) 662-8858
Email: ir@glglifetech.com
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